"Anne gave a snort of disbelief, her breath a little cloud on the cold air. 'Oh aye,' she said derisively. 'She could ride, astride and learn to joust. A girl can't rule a country like this, the great lords'd eat her alive.'" Chap. 2, Spring 1522, p. 21

"She's watching me," I whispered back. "Course she is. More to the point, he's watching you. And most important of all Father and Uncle Howard are watching you, and they expect you to carry yourself as a young woman on the rise. Up you go, Mistress Carey, and all of us go up with you." Chap. 2. Spring 1522, p. 28

"There was a trail of extravagance and dishonesty and waste that followed the king around the country like slime behind a snail." Chap. 2, Spring 1522, p. 54

"When you first came to court you were a fresh piece of goods, hardly glazed by the French court...